Folks,

Dux:

This certainly explains the scarcity of your shadow around here of late. I recall that you were preparing for a rather important play date. Congratulations on getting a modest 5 out of a possible 10. The musician is always the best judge of the music technically. It is, however, the ticket buying audience that really is the better judge of the entertainment value. If no one in the band was lynched or struck by a foreign body then I'd say that you rate a good bit higher than a 5.

What a coinkidinky, C51 and his trio played for a big Toronto wedding today. There is no known direct connection however he is already well on his way into the wilderness for at least 7 days.

One of the nasty things about playing music, especially off key and particularly so when on stage, is that someone will probably hear it. In your case it would seem that everyone within hearing distance may have been pretty well potted so I doubt if they even noticed. "Dancing in the streets" rocked but cleared them out you say. I am sure that many that were there will tell their grand children about that fantastic band they once heard...and greatly bored the kids will be too.

As you are a card carrying member of the castle crowd yourself, I am surprised that HM the Queen did not stop and at least huddle with you for a drink and a few pleasant moments of upper-crust chatter. Perhaps her feet or back hurt? I am told by someone who claims to know that HM can perfectly mimic a Cockney Charwoman when the occasion warrants; and when she does, the spacious and gilded corridors of Buck house reverberate with something like "Owww me ikeing back!" Poor woman.

Now that you have returned victorious from your gig to your beautiful Derbyshire, perhaps you will be installing the latest WOV patch? If so, we'd love to hear your opinion and experience. Bader has posted some nice screenies that you might find mouth watering in the meantime.

We have finally had a day without rain. Ditto for tomorrow but Monday looks wet. Hurricane Bertha still sits spinning out there in the mid-Atlantic. I'd love to see the last of her dissipate into the North Atlantic. I'm worried that, against predictions, she is waiting to take a shot at us.